BERKELEY – Malak Afaneh, a University of California law student and daughter of Palestinian immigrants, was among more than a hundred pro-Palestinian protesters camped outside Sproul Hall on the Berkeley campus. Their message is clear: they demand a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment action from the UC.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that the university that prides itself on diversity, equality and inclusion refuses to stand on the side of justice and divest,” Afaneh said.
This Thursday is the fourth day of their demonstration. The group has formulated a number of important demands.
“One – that UC Berkeley ends their silence. They categorize what is happening in Palestine as genocide. They have not succeeded.
The second is the UC’s complete financial divestment from any entity complicit in apartheid, especially arms manufacturers,” Afaneh explained.
Yousuf Abubakr, a mechanical engineering student at Cal, is supporting the protest by helping with logistics.
“I feel that if all of us – students, citizens of this country – experienced even a fraction of the pain, the fear and the violence that the Palestinians live under day in and day out, especially in Rafah, all of us in the problems would arise. here,” Abubakr said.
University officials say they are observing the demonstration, but there have been no disruptions to university operations.
“We work with the trustees and with the university system when it comes to our public role and responsibility. We want to preserve people’s right to protest, while doing so peacefully, without any hatred. We don’t want more, I just want to avoid a lot of what we’re seeing in other parts of the country,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.
According to Afaneh, at least 100 students have been camping since the last demonstration began and say they have no intention of leaving until they see results.
“I am now trying to do my part and ensure that the university recognizes their complicity in the genocide. Every day they don’t acknowledge this is a problem,” Abubakr said.
“I am optimistic that we will achieve our divestment goal. We are willing to risk suspension, deportation and arrest until we do that and we don’t go anywhere,” Afaneh added.
